Old school works

As I am now in Finland and visiting my parent's home, it is good time to make a post about my old works I made at school. I am going to make another post of some other old stuff later.

I made this hand towel when I was about 11 years old. Every girl in my class had to make similar one. This crocheted part has suffered a bit in washing machine. I really have used this towel.

My first pair of socks I ever knit. I was 12 years old. They were too small for me, but my sister and brother used to wear them, when they were small. So they don't look that nice any more. I think they are pure wool, but I am not 100% sure.

This jumper was one of those school works we could choose voluntarily. I was 14-15 years old. This is not my first jumper, but the very first one is gone, disappeared. I think the pattern for this jumper was from the German Burda magazine or something. I used alpaca and wool yarns. This was for my little sister, who used to wear it quite often.

A bit closer look to that previous jumper.

This cable jumper was made about the same time as the previous one. It has been used by two of my little sisters. So it has strechted a lot. The yarn is cotton. I think the arm holes look a bit strange, but otherwise not too bad for a teenager.

I think I am much lazier these days knitting mostly socks or mittens. I really should start making something bigger again.

Valokuvatorstai 104.

Valokuvatorstai "Kiltti". (kiltti=kind, good etc.) He is a good boy at least once a year...

Totoro etc.

I am still in Finland and as everybody else is working or at school I sometimes feel a bit bored, so what could be better than do some knitting and other crafts.

I never knit any toys before, so I gave a try. Totoro, a Japanese cartoon character, is just so cute. It looks a bit like a rabbit, but I am not sure, what it actually is. My Totoro looks definitely more like a rabbit. (and doesn't look very well made) I used some old yarn from my mam's stash. I think the white and grey are Seitsemän Veljestä and black one is something else.

Totoro


Pattern: my own.
Yarn: Seitsemän Veljestä etc. old leftover yarn.

I think next I am going to make a post of my old works. I found my first wool socks I made about 19 years ago and some old jumpers.

In Finland

It's been some weeks since my last post. I am in Finland now, have been actually over 2 weeks now. It's been nice to see everybody and weather hasn't been too bad.

At the moment still feeling horrified because of the shooting in Kauhajoki. My sister actually knows somehow the partner of one of the victims. So sad. They should really make it very very difficult to get any guns. I never actually understood someone's interest in guns. Guns are evil. My family has never been interested in guns. We don't have any guns at home. I know some people who go hunting, but nobody who is doing shooting just for fun.

Maybe the biggest problem is the Finnish society. That guy like the previous shooter had been bullied a lot. I think a lot of Finnish men seem not to speak very much of their emotions and troubles, just keeping everything inside. But not every bullied man shows their long hidden anger that way. Some people get other mental problems. I think schools should take bullying more seriously and also the mental health services should be more extense, easily available for anyone. It is not only the problem of schools but also work places and other areas of society. We should make the life bearable for everybody. I wish this would change something and this kind of things could be prevented.

Celtic inspirations

I am going to Finland for a month in two weeks time. I can't wait since I have been a bit homesick lately. It is so nice to go home and see everybody and see all the changes that happened there when I was away. Last time I was there at Christmas time. In last 4 years have spent about 6 months altogether in Finland. Sometimes I really feel like a foreigner there. I keep saying "sorry" to everybody I push accidentally or who push me and use it too much altogether for the Finns. I keep door open for the next one coming after me. Nobody says anything and other people slam it to my face. I forget to weight all the fruits and vegetables and tag them before going to the till. Anyway it is nice to go there after so many months.

My biggest knitting project (I have to say) this summer has been these brown socks, which are made of Wollmeise yarn I ordered last year. They have taken forever to make with small needles, but some weeks I didn't actually do anything for them. Actually I am making the other one again, because I wasn't very happy with it. I have never made that short socks before. I thought some cable things would look nice with these sock. As I am in Ireland Celtic Cable stitch was my choice. :) I have made them just by measuring on my foot. That's the way I seem to be doing most of my small knitting projects. I think I call them Brick socks because of the color. Other name could have been in something Irish, if I knew it a bit more. I think they definitely look celtic.

Brick socks



Pattern: my own.
Yarn: Wollmeise Sockenwolle (sock yarn) 80/20, Spice market.

Summer

This summer has been quite busy actually. I haven't had any holidays, what is not too bad because of the weather. I am actually planning to leave my job soon and go traveling for a couple of months. I am planning to visit my family and then go somewhere really hot. I want to have some real summer without constant rain. There have been a lot of things to do. I haven't done very much knitting and other crafts lately, just some socks and curtains. However there are lot of projects waiting to be done, knitting and sewing ones. Many little babies are waiting something cute. I was also asked to make a jumper for a man. No shortage of the ideas anyway.

The white net I made for our living room window using my new sewing machine.



My boyfriend's little nieces were visiting Ireland in July.



Where is the sun gone? We don't want any more rain...

New sewing machine

Last weekend I bought a sewing machine, my first ever. It is Singer Confidence 7463. I have been only using someone else's machines before and it is really handy to have your own. I already made a little light curtain (net?) for the living room window and was happy with that machine. It is easy to use. So I have been happy so far. I actually have some other works, what need to be done. I have to sew more curtains and there are some clothes waiting to get altered or fixed. It is so different to use that machine than the probably 50-years-old machine I was using lately, which belongs to my boyfriend's grandmother.

Waiting for the really hot summer days, if we get them here in Ireland at all this summer.